Gene Stallings: 'I'm Glad I'm Not Coaching in Today's Game'
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s been 26 years since Gene Stallings patrolled the sidelines as Alabama’s head coach. A lot has changed in college football since then.
Stallings said he still spends his Saturdays tuning into games on television. However, the 87-year-old can’t imagine coaching in today’s climate.
“I’m glad I’m not coaching in today’s game,” Stallings said during an appearance ahead of the RISE tournament of champions at NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa on Thursday. “First of all, you have to handle them with kid gloves because if you’re really tough and rough on them they can leave without a penalty. They can go and be eligible immediately.
“I think they made a mistake when they allowed the player to transfer and play immediately. And I think they made a mistake when they allowed [the player] the transfer to leave for no reason. That’s just a personal opinion.”
The transfer portal was only one of the topics Stallings brought up Thursday. The former Alabama head coach also isn’t a fan of players getting money for their name image and likeness.
“You go to school for an education. You don’t go to college to play football,” Stallings said. “You go to college to get an education. Now, if you don’t like the coach, for example, you transfer. You go to another school, and then you go to another school. How about all those hours that you lose. No one ever talks about that.”
Stallings clarified that he isn’t opposed to players getting some help financially but stated that “if you check the normal college player, he gets a whole lot more help than you think he does.”
Alabama’s Bryce Young has been one of the biggest earners in terms of NIL since the NCAA allowed players to capitalize financially last July. Before making his first start for the Crimson Tide last season, the quarterback had already earned close to $1 million in sponsorship deals. Since then, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner has reeled in deals with BMW of Tuscaloosa, Cash App, Logan’s Roadhouse and Subway.
Last season, several Alabama players claimed that NIL had not caused a distraction. However, Stallings said the disparity between stars and average players could cause future riffs in the locker room. The former head coach brought up his undefeated 1992 national championship team at Alabama stating one of the reasons his players had so much success was the selflessness they displayed as a unit. He sees less of that in today’s game.
“Now it’s the individual that’s important because he’s going to be able to generate a certain amount of income himself,” Stallings said. “I think that’s going to hurt the team. Here I’m an offensive guard and I block for somebody that generates a certain amount of money. Well, he wouldn’t have made all that money if I hadn’t blocked for him. Somewhere along the line, we’ve got to appreciate the guy who blocks for the runner, otherwise, we’re going to have some problems in college football.”
Stallings, who played under former Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M in the 1950s and served as the Aggies' head coach from 1965-71, was also asked about his alma mater Thursday. Texas A&M has been in the center of the NIL discussion as many have suggested that the Aggies’ No. 1 recruiting class this year has more to do with NIL money than recruiting.
"There’s a certain amount of discussion back and forth of, did he recruit them or did he buy them?" Stallings said. "I don’t know. Now when you can buy a player, that makes a difference. I can’t imagine the NCAA allowing that to happen. But it’s legal now."
Stallings also has an issue with today’s scheduling. Thursday, he scoffed at some of the games Power Five schools schedule against smaller programs, calling the matchup “piddling games.”
Now everybody plays three or four piddling games because they want to be bowl eligible,” Stallings said. “Back when I was coaching at Texas A&M a long time ago, there was no such thing as an easy game. My three preseason games were LSU in Baton Rouge, Ohio State in Columbus and University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That schedule, not those teams, but that typical schedule every year. So that’s changed now because everybody wants to be bowl eligible, so they play three or for piddling games.”
Alabama plays three Group of Five opponents this season, opening up against Utah State on Sept. 3 inside Bryant-Denny Stadium while also hosting games against Louisiana-Monroe (Sept. 16) and Austin Peay (Nov. 19).
Gallery: Gene Stallings
Photo | Tony Tsoukalas
Courtesy of Crimson Storm Surge
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